Constitution Review
How did each of these influence the creation of our Constitutional government?
Magna Carta – King signed a
document stating that he had to
obey the same laws as the
common people. This also took
away the King’s power which
brought a balance between the
two.
Enlightenment – supported a new
way of thinking and reasoning and
idea of self-government and this is
where the colonists got the idea of
asking for their independence.
Great Awakening – taught that you
need to challenge religious leaders
if your beliefs were at stake. It also
taught people to be tolerant of
others’ beliefs.
Articles of Confederation – first
attempt at a Constitution like
document. It showed the
weaknesses of the former government and displayed what needed
to be improved in order to have a
successful government.
Shay’s Rebellion – a rebellion of
farmers that closed down the court
house in Massachusetts. It showed
that the Articles of Confederation
was weak and that they needed to
be rewritten.
Mayflower Compact – was the first
document of self-government in
America.
English Bill of Rights – demonstrated
that there shouldn’t be one person
with all of the power, it should be
distributed fairly and equally.
Virginia Statute of Religious
Freedom – is a document which
declared that no person could be
forced to attend a particular church
or be required to use tax money to
pay for church fees.
Greece – showed to the Americans
that a government worked well if all
citizens took part and the
government was open to all
people.
Rome – society founded the idea of
a republic, people elect officials.
House of Burgesses – was the first
example of representative
government in the United States.
Montesquieu – developed the
theory of 3 branches, separation of
powers, and limited power of the
king. This is the foundation of the
Constitution.
Rousseau – offered the idea that
government should be a social
contract and citizens should have
the right to cancel government.
John Locke – developed the idea
that people are born with natural
rights such as life, liberty, and
property.
Checks and Balances – made sure
that all branches worked together
to ensure proper balance. This
made all powers and branches
equal.
Separation of Powers – is where
powers are separated into
branches to make sure no one
branch is more powerful than the
other.
Popular Sovereignty – is the idea
that people rule. This idea is what
makes up the Constitution.
Republicanism – got the citizens
involved so that they could
participate in the process.
Federalism – is a system of
government where power is
divided between the central, state
and local governments.
Limited Government – is the idea
that all people must obey the law,
there is no exception. This keeps
the Constitution fair.
Individual Rights – are rights that a
government must grant to the
people. For example, a government
cannot tell people what religion to
practice.